Sugar before shot might ease injection pain

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Giving a bit of sugar to a baby about to get a shot might reduce the pain, a large review of studies suggests.

Researchers reviewed data from 14 randomized trials using a sweet-tasting solution to treat pain from injections in babies less than a year old. Overall, babies who tasted a sweet solution cried less than those given a placebo, but the studies were difficult to compare because of their varying methodologies.

Some studies tested a sweet solution against a placebo, some one sweet solution against another. Others tested sugar against a topical anesthetic or against a distraction such as sucking on a pacifier.

The analysis, published last week in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, concludes that sugar is an effective anesthetic in reducing the amount of crying time. But there was no strong evidence for which sweet substance worked best, or for the ideal concentration or dosage. The one study that tested sugar against a topical anesthetic found no difference between the two in duration of crying time.

“The effect of the sugar will last only about two minutes, so it should be given during the administration of the shot,” said the lead author, Manal Kassab, an assistant professor at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. “Giving small amounts of sugar is a very safe intervention.”

The reason for the effect is unclear, but some experts suggest sugar releases natural opioids, or that stimulating the taste receptors induces a feeling of comfort.